Sunday, April 29, 2012

Five years ago today, Jonas Joseph Burgos was abducted by suspected
state security agents at a busy mall in Quezon City. From that day until
this very moment, his family and friends continue searching for him
despite all the difficulties.

MANILA – In hopes of finding Jonas Burgos, Mrs. Edita Burgos and her family have turned to the judicial system but found it wanting.

“We went through the legal process and here we are now,” Mrs. Burgos
said in an interview a few days before the fifth year of the
disappearance of her son. She encountered a labyrinth and she is still
nowhere near finding even a trace of her missing son.
Just last week, the Court of Appeals ruled that the military
documents related to the case are secret. In a five-page decision by
Associate Justice Rosalinda Asuncion-Vicente, the CA’s special former
seventh division said the documents, including the summary of
information about the two suspects, are considered as confidential. In
effect, the court has ruled that the military part of Mrs Burgos’
labyrinthine search for Jonas is untouchable. (Click here to read the whole article)

Jonas Burgos, gentle and brave

The three boys in the family share a light moment. On the right is Jonas. JL stands beside him and Sonny below.(Photo courtesy of the Burgos family / bulatlat.com)

MANILA – Jonas or Jay to his family was born on an Easter Sunday, on
March 29, 1970. “I was attending Mass when my labor began. In less than
an hour, before the Mass ended, I gave birth to him,” Mrs. Edita Burgos
recalled. Jonas is the middle child of the five children of Mrs. Burgos
and press freedom icon, Jose Burgos Jr.

As a child, Jay was full of energy. “I would tell his teachers to
keep him busy or else they’d get into trouble,” Mrs. Burgos said. Jay
went to Victoria School Foundation during his grade school.

Jay was called “supervisor” for his habit of roaming around the
school. On the first day of classes, he already knew the names of all
the teachers. Sometimes, he would tickle the knees of his classmates,
moving from one desk to another.
Asked why he was doing those things, Jay would tell his mother: “Our
teacher was saying the same things over and over again.” Smiling, Mrs.
Burgos said: “And so, by next school year, he was given the task of
erasing what was written on the blackboard. Sometimes, he would erase
the text even before his classmates were done copying.” (Click here to read the whole article)5 years of search, 5 years of hope.... MORESource: Bulatlat.com